Travel Photography Tip #1: Pack Light

And I don’t mean to just pack light when it comes to your clothes and other personal items. You need to thin the herd when it comes to your gear, too.

As you stuff your Nikon Z7 and your Nikon D850 and your Sony a6400 and three lenses for each camera into your bag, you should ask yourself, “Do I really need all this?”

The answer is no…

Having too much gear is not only uncomfortable to carry but it also causes you undue stress worrying about whether your gear is safe.

Here’s a travel photography idea: take one camera, a good walk-around zoom lens (i.e., a 24-70mm), and a small travel tripod (like this one!). With this small kit, you can photograph just about anything on your travels and not kill yourself trying to carry it all.

Learn More:

Travel Photography Tip #2: Carry Your Gear in Comfort

Speaking of carrying your gear, you want a camera bag that’s not only comfortable but also helps you keep your gear safe and organized.

When traveling, that means you need a small bag that’s big on features, and for my money, there’s nothing better than the Holdfast Fundy Streetwise Bag.

Designed for street photography, this little bag will hold a camera and several lenses along with all the necessary accessories like extra batteries, memory cards, your wallet, and so forth.

In addition to the comfort and organizational factors, this bag is unassuming. It’s small, lightweight, and doesn’t look like a camera bag. That’s a big deal because thieves will be less likely to target you because they won’t know you have expensive camera gear inside.

Speaking of the inside, this bag has multiple compartments lined with sheepskin that keep your gear cozy and safe as you travel. No bumps or bruises for your gear when it rides in this thing!

On top of all that, this bag can be worn as a traditional shoulder bag or it can be attached to the impeccable Holdfast MoneyMaker. That means you can customize how you carry the bag to suit your specific needs.

Either way, you have quick access to your gear so you won’t miss any shots on your travels. What’s not to like about that?

Travel Photography Tip #3: Plan It Out (But Still Be Spontaneous)

It’s important to plan your travels well ahead of time so you’re sure to be in each location at the ideal time of day. After all, getting to that quaint mountain village in the north of Italy at noon isn’t going to get you the best photos under that harsh, midday light.

So, while you’re figuring out where to go, think about when to go too. It’s one of the most important things you can to do improve travel photography

The when part of the equation might be more complicated than simply deciding to be somewhere at dawn or dusk.

For deeper intel on the locations you’ll be traveling to, ask around. Get with your photographer friends and see if they’ve been to any of the locations you intend to visit. Once you’re in-country, ask the locals for inside knowledge about where you should go and when.

That brings up the “be spontaneous” part of this.

While you should leave home with a solid plan in place, don’t be tied down to it. Some of the best adventures (and best photos) result from ditching your initial plans in favor of something else at the last minute! Being willing to be spontaneous is a critical part of being a travel photographer.

Photography insurance is a vital part of your photography business, yet it can be a confusing topic. In this tutorial, learn the ins and outs of photography insurance so you're informed about what you need to protect your business.

If you're looking for a new subject to photograph to jump-start your creativity, you can find all kinds of inspiration in water reflections. Learn how to photograph water reflections in this quick tutorial.